Loom having interconnected warp let-off and cloth take-up means at back of loom

ABSTRACT

A conventional weaving loom is equipped with a back frame which supports the warp beam in an elevated position and supports the cloth take-up roll in the position normally occupied by the warp beam. A first overhead variable speed drive or let-off controls the feeding of warps to the loom at constant speed and under a constant tension. A second substantially identical variable speed drive at a lower elevation interconnected with the first drive causes controlled winding up of cloth on the take-up roll at constant speed and under constant tension. Two guide rolls at the front of the loom reverse the cloth toward the back of the loom and the cloth travels through a protective tunnel near floor level. Up to five times more cloth can be wound on the take-up roll than is possible with conventional arrangements. The warp beams and cloth rolls are handled in one alley at the back of the loom with a great lessening of the doffing problem, and existing beam handling equipment may be utilized.

United States Patent Cutting et al.

115] 3,677,305 1 July 18, 1972 Greenville; Dewey ll. Willi-Ill, Greer; Fella E. Hooper, Greenville, all of S.C.

[73] Assignee: Southern Machlnel'y Company, Greer.

[22] Filed: Feb. 19, I971 [2]] Appl. No.: 116,940

[52] U.S.Cl ..l39/99, 139/110, 139/304 [51] Int. Cl. ..D03d 49/06, D03d 49/20 [58] Flelrlolsearch ..l39/99, 97, 304,], 307,110; 66/86 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,811,176 10/1957 Mangum ..l39/304X 2,820,485 1/1958 Selles 3,308,854 3/1967 Pfarrwaller 2,786,491 3/1957 Hunt 3,156,267 11/1964 Hooper..... 3,502,115 3/1970 Barnett ..l39/l w 7 I? s 1 I 523 "([124 r 19 '8 3| 1L9} 27 r 1 l f h 34 I5 45" 3,160,177 12/1964 Williams et al. ..139/99 X FORFJGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,018,409 1/1966 Great Britain.........................139/304 Primary Examiner-James Kee Chi Attorney-B. P. Fishbume, Jr.

[ ABSTRACT A conventional weaving loom is equipped with a back frame which supports the warp beam in an elevated position and supports the cloth take-up roll in the position normally occupied by the warp beam. A first overhead variable speed drive or letof! controls the feeding of warps to the loom at constant speed and under a constant tension. A second substantially identical variable speed drive at a lower elevation interconnected with the first drive causes controlled winding up of cloth on the take-up roll at constant speed and under constant tension. Two guide rolls at the front of the loom reverse the cloth toward the back of the loom and the cloth travels through a protective tunnel near floor level. Up to five times more cloth can be wound on the take-up roll than is possible with conventional arrangements. The warp beams and cloth rolls are handled in one alley at the back of the loom with a great lessening of the dolfing problem, and existing beam handling equipment may be utilized.

5Clallm,3Drawlngfigures PAIEmEnJuuamz 3671.305

SHEET 1 [1F- 2 8 i INVENTURS ARCH E. CUTTING DEWEY H. WILUAMS CARLOS L. OWENS, FELIX E. HOOPER ATTORNEY PATENTED JUL 1 8 I972 SHEET 2 0F 2 LOOM HAVING INTERCONNECTED WARP LET-OFF AND CLOTH TAKE-UP MEANS AT BACK OF LOOM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A need has existed for a long time in the weaving for an improved cloth take-up system which would simplify loom dofi'tng and allow the winding of much greater lengths of cloth on one take-up roll. With the usual arrangement of mounting the warp beam at the back of the loom and the cloth take-up roll at the front of the loom a very limited amount of Space is available for the cloth roll. With prevailing practices a mill may doff a inch diameter cloth roll containing 250 yards of cloth. By means of the present invention the much larger cloth roll is able to contain five times as much cloth, or up to L250 yards. In accordance with the invention the warp beam and cloth roll, both at the back of the loom, are substantially of the same diameters and much less frequent dofl'tng is necessitated and doffing is carried out in a single alley instead of the two alleys. Available space at the back of the loom normally wasted is taken advantage of in the invention. A pair of highly effcient let-ofi' mechanisms are operatively linked and driven from the loom cam shaft continuously to control the unwinding of the warps from the beam and the winding up of cloth at constant tension and constant speed. The invention solves a critical need without interfering in any way with the normal waving operation.

Installation of the invention on existing looms can be accomplished very readily with a minimum of time and labor. Present beam handling equipment can still be utilized. The jumbo cloth roll produced will result in cloth room savings. Only one fifth as many headers require seaming and one fifth as much seaming waste occurs. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRlPTlON OF DRAWING FIGURES FIG. I is a side elevation of a loom equipped with the warp let-off and cloth take-up means ofthe invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the opposite side of the loom and take-up mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the loom with parts broken away.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, the numeral 10 designates a weaving loom in its entirety including the usual loom sides ll. The weaving mechanism of the loom is entirely conventional and is unchanged by the present invention and therefore no illustration or description of the weaving mechanism is required for a proper understanding of the invention.

Closely adjacent to the rear of the loom an upstanding back frame l2 is provided including laterally spaced uprights 12', each having base extensions 13 projecting rearwardly therefrom. Forwardly extending arms 14 on the uprights l2, rigidly connect the back frame 12 to the loom sides ll for stability. The tops of the upright l2 carry forwardly projecting rigid extensions [5 whose forward ends may be further structurally tied to the loom by braces l6.

The warp beam [7 is elevated from its usual position near and above the floor to an overhead position as shown in Figure l. The shaft ends 18 ofthc warp beam are mounted in suitable bearings 19 supported on the back frame extensions 15. The cloth take-up roll 20 occupies the approximate position normally occupies by the warp beam. Specifically the cloth takeup roll is positioned between the back frame uprights 12' near and above the floor with the shaft ends 21 of the take-up roll core 22 supported in bearings on the uprights. Thus the warp beam l7 is spaced above and slightly forwardly of the cloth take-up rolls. The warp beam is elevated to about the normal level ofthe top warp in two-warp weaving.

The invention further embodies a first or elevated warp letoff mechanism 23 which is preferably constructed in accordance with the teachings of prior US. Pat. No. 2,786,491 issued Mar. 26, I957 to Hunt and US. Pat. No. 3,156,267 issued Nov. l0, I964 to Hooper. As fully disclosed in these two patents the let-off mechanism 23 is essentially a variable speed self-regulating drive which has the ability to respond to the tension of the warps through a control linkage and to deliver into the loom warps at a constant speed and constant tension. The let-off 23 in actuality functions like a brake to control the unwinding of warps from the beam 17 at constant speed and under constant tension.

The cam shaft 24 of the loom which turns continuously during weaving is connected by gearing 25 and 26 with an input worm 27 of the let-off 23, in mesh with a worm gear 28 on a let-off input shaft 29 having a variable diameter cone pulley 30. A transmission belt 31 engages the cone pulley 30 and connects the latter with another variable cone pulley 32 on an output shaft 33 of the let-off. As disclosed in said prior patents the output shaft 33 drives another worm, not shown, meshing with a worm gear on a let-ofi shaft 34. This let-off shaft carries a spur gear 35, meshing with a larger gear 36 on the warp beam 17 to control rotation of the same and consequently the letting-off of warps therefrom.

The let-off mechanism 23 responds to the action of a whip roll 37 carried by arms 38 pivoted at 39 to brackets 40 on the uprights [2. One arm 38 includes an extension 4! on the forward side of pivot 39, and this extension in turn is pivotally connected at 42 to a tension link 43 which corresponds to a link 55 in US. Pat. No. 2,786,491. As disclosed in said patent the warp tension transmitted through the whip roll 37 and the link 43 is counteracted by a weight lever 44 and an adjustable cone pulley operating linkage 45 connected therewlth. This linkage and its automatic adjustment of the diameters of cone pulleys 30 and 32 is fully described in the two mentloned prior patents.

The warps 46 unwinding from the beam 17 engage around the whip roll 37 and then extend forwardly into the weaving mechanism of the loom, not shown. As the woven cloth emerges at the front of the loom it passes around the usual sand roller means 47 and then around a first guide roller 48 adjacent the sand roller. Following this the cloth 49 decends vertically and passes around another guide roller 50 near floor level and then passes rearwardly through a protective tunnel St close to floor level and beneath the loom. As the cloth emerges from the rear end of tunnel 51 it engages a further guide roller 52 and then passes slightly upwardly and around a second whip roll 53 which controls the operation of a second variable speed drive or let-off 54 which is structurally identical to the let-off 23 and the let-off in said prior patents. The whip roll 53 is carried by arms 55 secured to a rocker or tension shaft 56 held in suitable fixed bearings 57 on the bottom of back frame 12. A crank arm 58 is secured to one end of tension shaft 56 and has its forward end pivotally connected at 59 with a short link 60, in turn connected with the pulley adjusting linkage 61 of variable speed drive or let-ofl' 54.

To the opposite end of tension shaft 56 is secured another crank arm 62 pivotally connected with the lower end of a tension link 63 having its upper end pivoted at 64 to the rear end of a weight lever 65 pivotally mounted on a bearing extension 66, rigid with the adjacent upright 12'. The weight lever 65, tension link 63 and crank am 62 act on the shaft 56 to counteract the effect of cloth tension on the whip roll 53, such cloth tension being transmitted through the arm 58 and link to the cone pulley adjusting linkage 6l of the lower let-off S4. The lower let-off 54 thus operates in the same manner as the upper let-elf 23 with the following difference. As stated previously the upper let-off 23 functions as a brake or drag on the unwinding of warps from the beam 17. The lower let-off 54 in contrast operates as a positive drive to control the winding up ofcloth on the roll 20. Both let-offs 23 and 54 maintain constant tension and constant speed on the warps and woven cloth respectively.

The input shaft 67 of the lower let-off 54 derives its rotation from a worm gear 68 mounted thereon, and driven by a worm 69, operated by the same gearing 25 from the loom cam shaft 24 previously described for driving the upper let-off 23. The lower let-off 54 also possesses variable cone pulleys 70 and 71 on the input shaft 67 and output shaft 72 respectively. The letoff shaft 73 of lower let-off 54 is connected by a chain drive 74 with a spur gear 75 on one upright 12'. The gear 75 meshes with a larger gear 76 on the shah of cloth take-up roll 20 to drive the latter.

In operation, as already described, the two let-off mechanisms 23 and 54 operate in unison to regulate the letting-off of warps from the beam 17 and winding up of cloth on the roll 20. The location of the take-up roll 20 allows the accumulation of cloth thereon in diameter substantially equal to the diameter of a full warp beam. This is up to five times as much cloth as is customarily wound up on front mounted takeup rolls in the small space under the sand roll. The arrangement greatly simplifies doffng and both the beam and cloth roll are handled in one alley at the back of the loom. The advantages of the arrangement should now be obvious to anyone skilled in the art. The conventional weaving mechanism of the loom is in no way interfered with and installation of the invention is a simple matter involving principally the provision of the back frame 12 with the upper let-off 23 thereon and a slightly rearranged control linkage on the customary lower let off. Two substantially conventional let-off mechanisms constructed in accordance with the teachings of the two mentioned prior patents are advantageously utilized.

It should be mentioned that the upper let-ottmechanism 23 is secured to one of the extensions 15, while the lower let-off 54 is mounted on the adjacent loom side 11.

It should be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

We claim 1. A warp feed and cloth take-up mechanism for looms comprising an upstanding support frame arranged adjacent the rear of a loom. a cloth take-up roll and warp beam mounted on said upstanding support frame in vertically spaced relationship near the rear of the loom, said take-up roll and beam each having a rotational shaft journaled for rotation on a part of said support frame, positive drive gearing for the take-up roll and warp beam connected with and positively driving the shafts of the take-up roll and warp beam, a first variable speed tension-responsive self-regulating transmission mechanism mounted near said warp beam and having an output shaft drivingly connected with said positive drive gearing for the warp beam and controlling the letting off of warps from said beam into the loom weaving mechanism, a second variable speed tension-responsive self-regulating transmission mechanism mounted near said take-up roll and having an output shaft drivingly connected with said positive drive gearing for the take-up roll and controlling the winding of cloth onto the take-up roll as the cloth emerges from the loom, and input drive means common to said first and second transmission mechanisms and operating the same in unison and having connection with a constantly rotating element on the loom whereby power to drive said transmission mechanism is derived from the loom when the loom is in operation.

'2. The structure of Claim 1, and said cloth take-up roll and its rotational shafi disposed near the bottom of said upstanding support frame, said second transmission mechanism mounted on a loom side near the rear of the loom, said warp beam and said first transmission mechanism mounted on the top portion of said upstanding support frame.

3. The structure of Claim 1, and each of said first and second transmission mechanisms having a counterbalanced tension-responsive regulating link, and tension-sensing rolls engaging the warps of said warp beam between said beam and the loom weaving mechanism and said cloth between the cloth take-u roll and loom weaving mechanism, said sensing rolls pivot y mounted on said support frame and linkage means interconnecting said tension-sensing rolls and said tensionresponsive regulating links of said transmission mechanisms.

4. The structure of Claim 2, and each of said first and second transmission mechanisms including a counterbalanced tension-responsive regulating link, tension-sensing rolls engaging the warps of said beam between said beam and the loom weaving mechanism and said cloth between the cloth take-up roll and loom weaving mechanism, said sensing rolls pivoted on said support frame, and linkage means interconnecting said sensing rolls and said tension'responsive regulating links of said transmission mechanisms.

5. The structure of claim I, and guide roller means for woven cloth at the front of the loom to direct the cloth downwardly and rearwardly beneath the loom.

i i I l 

1. A warp feed and cloth take-up mechanism for looms comprising an upstanding support frame arranged adjacent the rear of a loom, a cloth take-up roll and warp beam mounted on said upstanding support frame in vertically spaced relationship near the rear of the loom, said take-up roll and beam each having a rotational shaft journaled for rotation on a part of said support frame, positive drive gearing for the take-up roll and warp beam connected with and positively driving the shafts of the take-up roll and warp beam, a first variable speed tension-responsive self-regulating transmission mechanism mounted near said warp beam and having an output shaft drivingly connected with said positive drive gearing for the warp beam and controlling the letting off of warps from said beam into the loom weaving mechanism, a second variable speed tension-responsive selfregulating transmission mechanism mounted near said take-up roll and having an output shaft drivingly connected with said positive drive gearing for the take-up roll and controlling the winding of cloth onto the take-up roll as the cloth emerges from the loom, and input drive means common to said first and second transmission mechanisms and operating the same in unison and having connection with a constantly rotating element on the loom whereby power to drive said transmission mechanism is derived from the loom when the loom is in operation.
 2. The structure of Claim 1, and said cloth take-up roll and its rotational shaft disposed near the bottom of said upstanding support frame, said second transmission mechanism mounted on a loom side near the rear of the loom, said warp beam and said first transmission mechanism mounted on the top portion of said upstanding support frame.
 3. The structure of Claim 1, and each of said first and second transmission mechanisms having a counterbalanced tension-responsive regulating link, and tension-sensing rolls engaging the warps of said warp beam between said beam and the loom weaving mechanism and said cloth between the cloth take-up roll and loom weaving mechanism, said sensing rolls pivotally mounted on said support frame and linkage means interconnecting said tension-sensing rolls and said tension-responsive regulating links of said transmission mechanisms.
 4. The structure of Claim 2, and each of said first and second transmission mechanisms including a counterbalanced tension-responsive regulating link, tension-sensing rolls engaging the warps of said beam between said beam and the loom weaving mechanism and said cloth between the cloth take-up roll and loom weaving mechanism, said sensing rolls pivoted on said support frame, and linkage means interconnecting said sensing rolls and said tension-responsive regulating links of said transmission mechanisms.
 5. The structure of claim 1, and guide roller means for woven cloth at the front of the loom to direct the cloth downwardly and rearwardly beneath the loom. 